Necessities
by MonsterBrat
Summary: [Gen][Illumi, Kuroro] A meeting to discuss business leaves Illumi unaccountably upset. Set during York Shin arc.


A/N: Set before the Zoldick-Kuroro fight in York Shin. Not sure how this would fit in time-wise, but if you can ignore that…

**Necessities **

He rarely likes his clients, but once in a while Illumi meets someone he can appreciate. It's not so strange, he supposes, that the leader of the famous Ryodan is one of those people.

"Do you usually discuss this sort of thing over dinner?" Kuroro asks, eyes managing a polite stare that's still all too focused. He takes a small bite of his chicken, drinks a bit of wine, waits for a response however long it will take.

"No, it's usually by phone." Illumi admits, eating himself only because he finds talking in a restaurant while ignoring the meal too crass, pathetic to be wasting food just because you need something to do. "I happened to be in the area." He adds, for clarification.

"I'm not complaining. It's a nice place." Kuroro plays with his food, Illumi is surprised to discover. It seems such a childishly fidgety thing to do, but Kuroro manages to make it seem so natural.

"My younger brother recommended it. He… likes food." Illumi answers. This is probably the first time Illumi's ever actually listened to Milluki's recommendations. It hasn't turned out so bad, after all. Kuroro chuckles.

"I think we've met him, short boy, silver hair?" He asks, elegant hand rising to show a vague height, a little over a meter above the floor.

"No, it's a different one." Illumi explains. He wants to ask about Killua but restrains himself. He is under strict orders to leave the boy alone, after all. Instead he keeps eating, and Kuroro follows suit.

"One of my men asked him to join. That's how we met. Refused, as expected I suppose. He and his friend escaped in an interesting fashion, actually. I didn't learn his name until later." He drinks, again, and Illumi relaxes slightly. He didn't expect Killua to really join the Ryodan, of course, although Illumi admits the boy would probably be safer in such an organization. Kuroro doesn't seem like a rash leader, altogether. He thinks Killua might have been well taken care of, even.

"No, I expect he wouldn't join." He says, just to keep talking. Uncharacteristically, he thinks that Kuroro's conversation is pleasant, for all of its lack of content. Illumi has suffered far worst from a client, and at least Kuroro is polite.

"Although I'll admit I was disappointed. I haven't seen any of your family's younger members fight. And we _are_ open for membership…" the meal drowns out the end of the sentence, and for a moment they concentrate on eating, Illumi to escape the veiled invitation he cannot consider.

"You met my father. You can expect the same service from the entire family." He says, finally, a line of pure business that Kuroro notices too easily and waves away too quickly. Illumi wonders if he hasn't crossed a line, after all father wasn't working for Kuroro, the last time.

"Of course. I'm just curious." He explains, all in apparent good humor. Illumi relaxes marginally. While he tells himself he takes implications about his family too seriously, the knowledge never really helps.

"Although," Kuroro continues, "I would really have liked to be able to see you work." He doesn't smile, but there's a hint of uplifted lips that turns his face from just pretty to almost innocent. "Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be allowed the time." He shrugs, a gesture that could be charming. Illumi wonders if the leader of the Ryodan is really like this all the time, if he isn't putting on a show. It was unexpected, when they met at the restaurant entrance, to see such a young, pretty boy instead of a killer. Illumi supposes that after Hisoka he should be used to such things.

"Which leads me to the request: please provide half the payment up front. It's family policy in cases like this." Illumi tries not to retreat to the coldness that his father says clients distrust, and he isn't so sure that he's failed when Kuroro simply nods and takes out his cell phone to make the transaction.

"Do these cases happen often?" He asks while pressing buttons.

"Enough that we've developed a policy for it." Illumi takes another bite and chews slowly, avoiding those big black eyes. Unexpectedly, he feels a little uncomfortable, as if he is swindling a child. Perhaps the fact that Kuroro may well die soon by his own father's hand makes the conversation a little awkward. He wonders if Kuroro is not upset by this.

"What do you think my chances are, Illumi-san?" Kuroro asks, passing across the cell to confirm the transaction. Illumi presses the "OK" button, almost reluctant. He passes the phone back and they resume eating. For a long moment he drinks wine and says nothing, thinking.

"If you fight defensively, quite good. I will try to finish my work quickly, so I don't suppose you'll have to buy a lot of time." The answer is true, if not optimistic. Of course, he knows that father and grandfather _would_ find Kuroro interesting enough to get serious over quickly, but he tries to speak reasonably all the same.

"Then, I suppose, please wish me luck, I'm afraid I won't be able to fulfill my payment otherwise." Kuroro says this with typical good humor, although he looks a little sad to Illumi. He wonders if the man is afraid, it would not be such a determent to his personality. Illumi himself would not wish to fight his father and grandfather for any length of time, despite being mostly assured of being spared in the end.

After studying Kuroro's face, however, he begins to question whether Kuroro really is afraid or not. It is to be expected, and yet Illumi cannot confirm it.

"Good luck, Kuroro-san." He says. Illumi doesn't believe in luck anyway. All the same, he finds himself reluctant to see the man dead, for more reasons than the petty money he may get.

"Have you been in York Shin before, Illumi-san?" Kuroro looks out the nearby window as he says this, uncharacteristically. Previously, those eyes were trained only on Illumi or his food. He watches the man take a drink, the long pale throat looking all too delicate in the midafternoon light.

"A few times." He answers, a little confused at the sudden change of topic. It's such a _strange_ thing to ask, Illumi thinks. He wonders if Kuroro was born here or something.

"I was just wondering if you've been to the auctions. They're something worth seeing, though perhaps next year would be a better opportunity." Kuroro chuckles, a pleasant sound, and Illumi finds himself amused despite himself.

"I've been before, with my family. I wonder if they won't be canceled next year." He offers, finally glancing at the window to see what exactly Kuroro seems so interested in. Afternoon sunlight glints off the expensive skyscrapers, people walk below them in the street, everything is so normal, like a thousand other cities Illumi has already seen.

"I hope not, I wouldn't want to feel responsible. Will you go next year?" The question is unexpected enough to put Illumi on guard, although Kuroro's empty, open expression stops him from tensing.

"Perhaps."

"I go occasionally, on my own. It's easy entertainment." Kuroro drinks again, and although the glass is finished he stares at it as if it is still filled. "Would you like to accompany me, next year? Despite appearances, I don't cause a scene everywhere I go." He does smile, just slightly. It's an honest expression. Illumi cannot believe that this is it, that nothing is being hidden, but he would have liked to. It would have been nice.

He realizes, suddenly, how strange it is that he believes Kuroro's petty lies more than he believes his own parents sometimes.

"That will not be possible. My schedule is… different." He answers, after a long time. Illumi admits he'd wanted to say yes. He couldn't care less about the auctions, he's never been one to appreciate such things, but Kuroro is not unpleasant company. Hard to be angry or annoyed with him.

"I see. Well, if you find some time for it after all, you have my number." Kuroro answers, with the same placid expression that Illumi likes.

Illumi knows Kuroro is older than him, possibly more experienced, too. A better fighter. All the same, he feels like the adult here, having crushed a child's expectations.

Kuroro shrugs, and Illumi feels that he's done something unforgivably cruel just by saying no. It is the same feeling he has when Killua used to blame him for his training exercises, that disappointment. He wonders if this is how Kuroro controls his spiders.

Finally, the man speaks again, "I hope you don't find it too intrusive. I don't usually make these invitations." As if he knows Illumi is the one who feels guilty.

"Not at all. It was a good idea." Illumi answers, lost as to what else to say. For a moment he contemplates making a promise after all and dealing with it later, so unexpectedly irrational. He could do it, too, Illumi thinks his father wouldn't mind finding out that Illumi has a life outside his job.

"We _do_ have a space available, now. I might as well make an effort to find a replacement. The work of a leader and all that." Kuroro passes it off as lighthearted, but Illumi finds the hidden motivation a little vexing, almost unexpected, maybe tempting.

"I see." He answers. Hopes Kuroro will just drop it, so he doesn't have to keep saying no over and over again.

"Still, seeing the auctions together might have been nice." Kuroro answers, a little relieving. Illumi nods. He doesn't know what else Kuroro wants to hear.

Before Illumi can say anything, Kuroro's phone rings and after a moment of conversation he makes the usual excuses leaves. The meal is still half-finished. When the man is gone he sits down again and resumes eating mechanically.

He feels sick to his stomach, after a while.


End file.
